Lauterbrunnen Switzerland – A Day Exploring the ‘Valley of 72 Waterfalls’!

Lauterbrunnen is one of the most beautiful places in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The Valley comprises the picturesque villages of Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, and Isenfluh surrounded by high dramatic cliffs dotted with waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen Valley is also known as the ‘Valley of 72 Waterfalls’ for the numerous gorgeous waterfalls located in the Valley and which gives Lauterbrunnen its name which means ‘many springs’.

Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen is only 20 minutes train ride from the Interlaken Ost train station. The trains from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen are served by Bernese Highlands Railway which is a narrow-gauge mountain railway. If you are based in Interlaken on your trip to Switzerland, Lauterbrunnen should be one of the top day trips to make from Interlaken.

There are a plethora of things to do in Lauterbrunnen Valley. You can easily plan a visit to a few of these top Switzerland attractions in Lauterbrunnen Valley to cover in a single day. On our day trip to Lauterbrunnen, we could easily cover the Lauterbrunnen Village and Staubach Waterfalls, Wengen, the mountain village of Murren and Trummbelback Waterfalls.

To reach Interlaken there are direct trains from Basel and Bern. If you are visiting from Zurich or Geneva, you will have to change trains in Bern. Nearest airports to Interlaken are in Zurich, Basel, and Bern.

Lauterbrunnen Village is one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. Set in a stunning location surrounded by towering rock cliffs the village of Lauterbrunnen looks like taken straight out of a fairytale.

The streets and alleys are lined with the chocolate colored chalets and the colorful windows overflowing with flowers. The meadows are dotted with alpine flora and grazing cows and their cowbells jingling with a soothing melody.

Some of the houses have intricate wooden carvings on windows and doors. Stop by one of the restaurants or cafes to enjoy the views over a cup of coffee and some cheesy Swiss specialties.

Staubach Waterfalls

One of the most famous waterfalls in Switzerland is the Staubach Falls which cascades from an altitude of 300 m plunging from an overhanging rock face. Staubach is also one of the highest waterfalls in Europe and makes for the postcard-perfect picture of Lauterbrunnen. The Staubach waterfalls are located very close to the Lauterbrunnen train station and can be reached by about 10 minutes walk.

Staubach Waterfalls was the inspiration for the well-known poem ‘Spirit song over the waters’ written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who visited the Lauterbrunnen Valley in 1779.

Trummelbach Waterfalls

The other popular waterfalls are the magnificent Trummelbach Waterfalls which are located in the Black Monk mountain. To reach Trummelbach Waterfalls from Lauterbrunnen one has to take a 7-minute ride on yellow post bus from Lauterbrunnen towards Stechelberg.

The water in the Trummelbach Waterfalls is combined might of 10 glacier falls. The amount of water that cascades depend upon the time of the year. check details here. The falls is in its full glory mostly during the summer when it cascades with up to 20,000 liters of water per second.

The falls can be reached by the tunnel lift which is open only during the summer. There are numerous platforms, tunnels, bridges which make for several vantage points to behold and experience the might of the roaring Trummelbach Waterfalls.

Mountain Village of Wengen

Wengen is a charming car-free village some 15 minutes train ride from Lauterbrunnen main station. The train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen continues further up the mountain to Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch. Wengen can also be reached by train from Grindelwald via Kleine Scheidegg or via Mannlichen by gondolas.

Alternatively, you hike from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen enjoying the magnificent views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Staubach falls and the pretty village of Lauterbrunnen.

The best way to explore the alpine village of Wengen is to wander the streets lined with pretty chalets and timber houses bedecked with colorful windows and flowers.

The green pastures dotted with alpine flora and grazing cows with a backdrop of massive snow-capped Alpine ranges look like a perfect setting for a romantic Swiss vacation.

One of the important points of interest in Wengen is the Wengen–Mannlichen aerial cableway that connects Wengen with the Mannlichen mountain at an altitude of 2,343 m. The summit is about 15 minutes from the cable car station. offers great views of the Lauterbrunnen valley and unparalleled view of the Eiger, Monch, and the Jungfrau. Mannlichen is also a popular starting point for hiking trails. One can also hike from Wengen to Mannlichen enjoy different vantage points for unparalleled views of the Eiger, Mönch, and the Jungfrau.

Lauterbrunnen to Murren

Murren is a car-free village at an elevation of 1,638 m above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The main street of the village skirts the hill which is lined with numerous resorts, hotels, and restaurants. On the other side the sloping hill is dotted with chalets, wooden houses, there are two churches and even a school in the village of Murren which has a population of less than 500. A walk along the edge of the village offers magnificent views over the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrauch. You can watch colorful paragliders with the backdrop of massive Alps.

To reach Murren one has to take the post bus from Lauterbrunnen towards Stechelberg which also makes a stop at Trummelbach Waterfalls. From Stechelberg a cable car ride up the mountain to the village of Murren with a stop at another small village of Gimmelwald. The cable car from Murren continues further up the mountain to Schilthorn which draws visitors for the stunning panoramic views of mountain summits and glaciers including Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. Mt. Schilthorn and the restaurant were featured in the 1969 James Bond movie ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’.

An alternative way to reach Murren is to take a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp and then a train to Murren.

Lauterbrunnen to Junfrauch – The Top of Europe

Jungfraujoch – The Top of Europe is Europe’s highest train station located at an elevation of 3454 m. To reach Jungfraujoch take a cogwheel train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg which also stops at Wengen if you are planning to visit from there. From Kleine Scheidegg a train takes you through the 7 km long in the Eiger mountain.

The summit offers breathtaking views of the Aletsch glacier and the surrounding Alps through various viewing platforms. There is also an ice palace similar to one in Titlis with ice sculptures. The Snow Fun Park hosts a range of activities like sledging, skiing or snowboarding during the summer. Visitors can also visit the Sphinx Observatory an astronomical observatory located above the Jungfraujoch. The observation deck offers wonderful panoramic views of the Jungfrau, Mönch, and Eiger peaks.

Schynige Platte

Schynige Platte is a mountain summit at 1967 m which offers great views of the Bernese Alps, peaks of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau and Lake Brienz and Lake Thun in the valley below. The summit is also a starting point for various hiking trails around the mountain. The Botanical Alpine Garden on the summit is home to over 600 plant species (best time to visit for the floral bloom and the best views is between June and September). More details here.

Wander through the lush green alpine meadows teeming with alpine flowers. Visitors can also watch the Alphorn players perform the traditional musical instrument every day between 11 AM to 2 PM near the mountain station. There are also barbeque spots with a supply of wood if you are looking for a picnic outing.

On the summit, there is Schynige Platte Mountain Hotel where you can devour on some delicious Swiss specialties with magnificent views of the Alps from the sun terrace. You can also plan to stay in one of the guest rooms at the Mountain Hotel. The rooms with belle epoque interior have windows opening up to the majestic views of the snow-clad Alps.

To reach Schynige Platte take a train from Lauterbrunnen to Wilderswil and then a cogwheel train up the mountain. The cogwheel train running since 1893 takes visitors through some of the picturesque mountain landscapes. The train journey takes about 50 minutes and operates only during summer (May to October).

2 thoughts on “Lauterbrunnen Switzerland – A Day Exploring the ‘Valley of 72 Waterfalls’!”

I’m loving your Switzerland content! We’re planning a summer trip in 2019 and was trying to work out whether it’s worth making Interlaken our base – I think you’ve convinced me that it’s a great idea! We were considering hiring a car but it looks like everything can easily be reached by train or by hiking?

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We are Rashmi and Chalukya a couple from Mumbai traveling as a family with our 3-year-old daughter Chhavi. We share our travel experiences, tips, and stories through our blog GOBeyondBounds. We aren’t the typical backpackers or the adventure junkies we just love to explore anything that fascinates us. Read More.

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